“Gone to the fair.”
He thought for a moment and said:
“I will go and fetch them. It’s some way off. Take a rest until we come: you need it.”
Gilberte, utterly exhausted, fell asleep.
Adèle woke her. There was a taxi waiting for her. Guillaume did not show himself again.
VI
A NEW FRIEND
Two days later Domfront could not believe its ears when it heard that all relations had been broken off between the La Vaudrayes on the one hand and Beaufrelant and Le Hourteulx on the other. The two no longer formed part of the salon.
“Oh, nonsense! Beaufrelant and Le Hourteulx, who have been there longer than anybody, who date back to the days when the La Vaudrayes saw their friends at the Logis: it’s impossible!”
“It’s quite true, for all that. I heard it from Mme. Duval, who is constantly at all three houses; and she saw the letters which Mme. de la Vaudraye wrote.”
“Well, you can say what you please, but it’s a great pity. M. le Hourteulx: such a fine voice! And M. Beaufrelant: such a brilliant talker! And have you heard the reason?”